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An eighth grader from Hayden has qualified for the National Championship of the Major League Baseball Pitch, Hit & Run competition.

12-year-old Hayley Loffer won the 11-12 Year Old Girls Division at the Team Championships at Safeco Field on June 23rd. This is the third time Loffer has won her division.

However, this is the first time her overall score has been high enough to qualify Loffer for the National Championship. This year, her score was one of the top three for her age division in the nation.

Pitch, Hit & Run is the official skills competition of MLB and is designed to recognize excellence in core baseball skills. There are four age groups that have the chance to advance through four levels of competition the Local, Sectional, Team Championship and National Finals.

The National Championship will be held on Monday, July 15th, prior to the MLB All-Star Home Run Derby at Citi Field in New York. Loffer will be competing against the other two top finishers in her division.

Loffer is entering eighth grade at Canfield Middle School in Coeur d'Alene in the fall and has honed her skills playing fast-pitch softball.